


Summer Luck

by TheAmazingCat (Kaybay2323)



Category: 15th Century CE RPF, The Sunne in Splendour - Sharon Kay Penman, The White Queen (TV), The White Queen - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-29
Updated: 2015-11-29
Packaged: 2018-05-03 21:24:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5307359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaybay2323/pseuds/TheAmazingCat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Summers always been lucky for us, we married in the summer, Ned was born in the summer, you were born in the summer, and we were crowned in the summer. Next summer shall be lucky for us as well.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Summer Luck

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to do this because so often fictional portrayals of Anne have her being "Of course I'll never have anymore children" but realistically I don't think that would be true. At only 28 I'm sure Anne and Richard would have thought of having more children beyond Edward of Middleham.

**July 1484**

The first rays of sunlight were shining through window of where the King slept. He had been up for a few hours now. Richard held Anne in his arms, stroking her arm lightly.

“I think by next summer you won’t be the only one in this bed beside me.” Richard said, noticing Anne was finally up.

“Richard.” Anne scolded, her eyes still heavy from her rest.

“I believe you shall be with child.” Richard said firmly.

“If we could be so lucky…” Anne said sadly, rising from the warmth of Richard’s arms. She thought of silently to herself, that young Katherine was more likely to have a babe on her hip next summer, then she ever was. Anne truthfully did not want to think of more children, the loss of Ned was still too close to her heart. She knew Richard was trying for more, lately she noticed that Richard had doubled they martial time together.

Richard for his part thought a child would bring them joy again. They had always been longing for more children, he had prayed often for God to grant him and Anne more. In Middleham Anne had successfully birthed three children beside Ned, two boys and a girl. It was the will of God that they die so young.

“A child would bring so much joy to this court.” Richard said, sitting up, moving back her hair to gently kiss the back of her neck, wrapping his arms around her.

“It would.” Anne agreed, it would also give England a Prince of Wales again.

“Summers always been lucky for us, we married in the summer, Ned was born in the summer, you were born in the summer, and we were crowned in the summer. Next summer shall be lucky for us as well.” Richard said, taking her hand in his.

“Will it?” Anne asked, these last two springs had brought tragedies; she wondered what next springs tragedies would bring her.

“I am King, I will command a happy summer for us. We shall go on a progress, after our babe is born and you are churched of course.” Richard smiled

Anne couldn’t smile, “Richard I’m not pregnant, we can’t plan for a potential…”

Richard hushed her “You will be, I promise you Anne we will not have another summer like this. Next summer will bring us happiness.” Gently caressing her cheek.

“I am not as certain as you.” She said

Richard couldn’t speak for a moment, “I know there is no replacing Ned, nor could we. But we will have more children, I am certain.”

Anne went quiet, trying very hard to imagine another child.

“We should think of names. What would call our next son, Anne?” He asked, coaxing her into the future.

“Richard of course. Boys are easy though we name them after Kings. With girls you have more choices.” Anne spoke, remembering how she named the girl she had after her recently departed sister.

“Oh do they, and what would you name a girl?” Richard asked

“We already have a Katherine so we can rule that name out, we had a Bella. Elizabeth?” Anne asked, finally giving into the idea of having more children.

“I think this family has too many Elizabeth’s, my sister, her daughter, Lady Grey, and Bess. That is one to many.” Richard insisted.

“Cecily? After your mother.” She said, “We only have two of those in the family.” She smirked.

“That would be nice, it would please mother greatly to have another granddaughter named after her.” Richard said. Imagining how happy his mother would be happy to stand as godmother to a Princess of York. How happy they would all be. Anne then spoke.

“So there we have it, we shall have either a Richard or a Cecily…” then added quietly “Next summer.”

“Next summer” Richard concurred. “We shall have another summer babe, I promise. One our nieces will coo over and dress up like a doll.” Richard promised. He knew thinking of life beyond Ned was painful, but it would happen. Richard wanted Anne to see it, the bright future they had before them, and how their reign would know happiness again.

He leaned back waiting for her to respond.

“We had better get back to bed if we want our child to arrive on time.” Anne said with a smile and leaned in to kiss her husband.

 

* * *

**June 1485**

Richard felt the cold memory wash over him, he stood outside and looking at the first summer flowers. Richard had put thoughts of Anne out of his head since his public denial. He knew it made him look weak, a King crying over the death of his wife, with Henry Tudor on his way he could not be seen as a weak King. Not even on the day of her birth did he allow himself a chance to mourn.

But today was first day of summer, and he could not help but think of his promise to her; that this summer they would have a child to celebrate. A promise he had broken. On her deathbed Anne had remember as well telling him, that she knew he would have a Little Cecily and Richard one day, just that it would not be with her. She had told him she was certain that Joanna would provide him with beautiful children and with a strong son to succeed his father.

“I love you Richard, and I wish I could be the mother to those children. But Richard don’t you see, you could have children with another wife. Ned can only have me to be mother, God is calling me too be his mother again, but sparing you for England’s sake.” Anne had told him, the day before her death.

Richard had refused to accept it, even as his advisors debated his new marriage alliances, even has he agreed to the marriages offers, he did not accept it. It was an unthinkable thing, for her to get so sick and so suddenly. The physicians offered no answers, no solutions. Claiming it was the will of God. Richard would not hear it. It could not possible be the will of God that the past three springs had brought him nothing but bitterness.

Life moved forward of course, it always did. He silently mused to himself that he would be married again by next summer. It still wasn’t real to him, that he would have a wife that was not Anne. Since he was brought to Middleham as a child, he knew Anne would be his wife. The Earl had long decided it, York sons for both his daughters, and his mother had thought the match was good as well. Even when Edward was making other marital plans for him, and denied the matches. After Edward was restored, he asked immediately for Anne’s hand, her rank and dowry of course were grand. Fitting for a man of Richard’s station, but he had always pictured Anne as his wife. He would put England first of course, and treat Joanna with the respect owed her, try his best to love and cherish her, but Richard could not bear to think of her as his wife yet.

“The flowers are blooming nicely, Your Grace.” Francis Lovell said. He had been watching his friend for sometime now and knew his mind was trapped in the past.

“They are.” Richard spoke.

“I hope they shall bloom this nicely next year.” He hinted.

“I will not pretend to know the future. What we plan for next summer could change swiftly. For all we know this castle will be burned to the ground next summer, or I shall have caught a chill during the winter and died.” Richard said pessimistically

“Your Grace, we cannot know the will of God, it is impossible for the likes of man. We must continue though, living life and planning for our futures.” Francis said, he did not wish to speak about Anne directly for he did not know what reaction that would bring from the King, but he knew Anne would want Richard to think of his future as well. “Your Grace shall see next summer, and the summer beyond that.”

“Are you sure Francis?” Richard asked, he was glad someone in his life could see the future so plainly.

“Of course.” Francis said with certainty.

“Well then perhaps next summer will not be such a sad one.” Richard said thinking about what next summer would bring him.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed, please forgive any mistakes.


End file.
